What to listen for: “We put a lot of effort into how we pick the best dogs. But maybe we should also have some discussion [about] how we pick the best handlers.” In the second half of the conversation with Dr. Jennifer Essler, our hosts, Robin Greubel and Stacy Barnett, discuss her current research and future goals bridging academic science with real-world handler expertise! At SUNY Cobleskill, Dr. Essler's conservation work demonstrates how detection dogs fill practical nich

What to listen for: “Trust your dog, but trust your training first.” Our hosts, Robin Greubel and Stacy Barnett, welcome back veteran USAR handler Bob Deeds to talk about the artificial divide between working dog and sport detection communities, and why both sides desperately need each other! Bob shares his journey from FEMA disaster work into nose work, leading into his innovative "geo-scenting" protocol. This hybrid sport combines geocaching with scent detection using clove

What to listen for: Our hosts, Robin Greubel and Stacy Barnett, announce the opening of signups for the 2026 Distraction Camp and Intentional Handling and Hide Setting. Signups began on January 4 at noon Central Standard Time. Christi Raak, who has been on the podcast, will lead the Distraction Camp, focusing on engagement, focus, arousal, and mobility. Lily Strassberg, currently in Israel, has given a tentative yes to co-teach Intentional Handling and Hide Setting. Both camp

What to listen for: “The power is not in perfection. It's in the ability to take those adjustments and flex on those adjustments.” Our hosts, Robin Greubel and Stacy Barnett, welcome veteran USAR handler Bob Deeds, whose journey from compulsion-based training to positive reinforcement transformed both his career and the field itself! His career trajectory spans volunteer search and rescue in the early nineties through Texas Task Force One, where he deployed to the World Trade

What to listen for: “[Being a part of] this podcast terrified me. Putting myself out there was so vulnerable, and I felt like it was such a big risk for you guys, as well. I’m so thankful. I’m glad you made me, but I’m also going to say I’m glad that I did it because in the end, I had the final say in buying the microphone and the headset.” After 151 episodes, Crystal Wing says goodbye (or rather, seeya later) to the K9 Detection Collaborative family, and lets us know the exc

What to listen for: “Dogs can literally smell time.” Our hosts, Robin Greubel, Stacy Barnett, and Crystal Wing, break down how time, airflow, and placement reshape detection dog work! They kick things off by describing a week of hides left up to 96 hours, the longest-out scenario that reveals how odor pools migrate and change. Drawing from this experience, our hosts brainstorm creative ways to design hides that can better help your dog read scents. Central is the concept of "

What to listen for: "A chain is only as strong as the weakest link, and that applies to behavior change, too. So therefore, build fluency...

What to listen for: "Get a dog, take the dog you have, start training, do it yourself. Yes, the client dogs will come, the other pieces...

What to listen for: “We’re always inspired by the students and all the hard work that goes on. It blows my mind every single year.”...

What to listen for: “I don’t just pet them, I go, ‘this is why you train the way you train, remember that’” Today, two-thirds of the...

What to listen for: "I care about my dog's emotional state, how they're feeling, and how confident they are. And I work on that a lot....

What to listen for: “You’re putting so much pressure on yourself, and that’s impacting your dog.” Today, our hosts Robin Greubel, Stacy...

What to listen for: 2/3 of the Dames of Detection, Robin Greubel and Crystal Wing, return with the brilliant Katylynn Sloan for part two...

What to listen for: “The dogs are so good at what they do, it’s brain-boggling.” Today, 2/3 of our hosts, Robin Greubel and Crystal Wing,...

What to listen for: In the second part of the series on consistency, our hosts Robin Greubel, Stacy Barnett, and Crystal Wing take a...

What to listen for: “You’re constantly writing and rewriting a contract with your dog.” Consistency makes or breaks dog training—but...

What to listen for: In part two of their discussion with the brilliant Denise Fenzi, our hosts Robin Greubel and Crystal Wing explore the...

What to listen for: “If I cannot, in five repetitions, isolate a variable down and get it where I want it, I do need to stop. That...

What to listen for: “Are we setting up hides in a way that our dog is becoming better and we're finding holes, or are we setting up hides...

What to listen for: “For the disaster, particularly this last one, you have to appreciate your emotional response that you’re going to...